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Cultural Scene and Heard: Prelude to Drama in the Desert – The Smith Center for the Performing Arts
It’s official: come spring of 2012, Vegas will be Broadway-bound, and The Smith Center for the Performing Arts will make history as the city’s first state-of-the-art venue dedicated primarily to performance art. Subscriptions to the center’s first Broadway series, featuring The Color Purple, Mary Poppins, Million Dollar Quartet and Memphis, have been on sale since summer, but with the recent announcement of their Design Your Own series, audiences have so much more to cheer about.
Regards to Broadway…Hello DYO
Despite the city’s penchant for bringing big budget entertainment to the masses, the bright lights, drama and action of Broadway have been a long time coming. Yet, as wonderful as it is to have Broadway caliber shows grace the center’s stage, the Design Your Own series is perhaps the most exciting revelation for both avid theater goers and tepid fans alike. Traditionally, in places like New York where theater reigns supreme, DYO tickets are generally only sold within a specific genre, be it all dance or all music, and there isn’t much crossover. The Smith Center is breaking the mold with their own offerings, which gives guests the opportunity to sample genres that span from comedy to music to spoken word performances.
“We plan to bring the community a wide variety of shows in order to provide cultural diversity for all,” said Myron Martin, president and CEO of the Smith Center. “The Design Your Own series has something for everyone and will allow people to customize a package that fits their interests, while allowing them to explore new acts they may not have otherwise sought out.”
With more than 20 shows to choose from, the series offers visitors a taste of everything, including up to 15% savings on individual ticket prices. It breaks down like this: purchase tickets for three different shows, receive a 5% total discount; purchase five shows, receive a 10% discount; purchase seven shows, receive a 15% discount. Individual ticket prices for DYO productions start as low as $24, and by packaging three or more shows into a custom series, patrons can save even more.
What’s On
Titles available for the Design Your Own series are a blend of dance, music and special attractions featuring some of the best entertainment acts out there. The series kicks off with a performance by Bela Fleck and the Flecktones on March 12th. Fronted by master-banjoist Bela Fleck, this Grammy award-winning quartet covers it all from classical and jazz to bluegrass and electric blues, with a touch of Eastern European folk thrown in for good measure. The hits just keep on coming with performances that include Disney’s Imagination Movers, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, The Pink Floyd Experience, The Cleveland Orchestra and Yo-Yo Ma. Even David Sedaris, one of America’s preeminent humor writers, will take the stage to share his sardonic wit with audiences. Lily Tomlin will make an appearance on May 13th, followed by Buddy Guy with Quinn Sullivan on May 19th.
Indeed, there is something here for everyone’s enjoyment. And from the looks of it, The Smith Center for the Performing Arts will make a renowned cultural destination out of Vegas yet! Purchase tickets and scout out shows at www.thesmithcenter.com.
